Daily relaxation modifies serum and salivary immunoglobulins and psychophysiologic symptom severity

This study investigated the effect of daily relaxation on concentrations of serum immunoglobulins A, G, and M and secretion rates of salivary immunoglobulin A (S-IgA). Twenty-four volunteers were randomly assigned to practice a relaxation technique daily for 3 weeks and 16 to a waiting list control condition. Blood and saliva samples were collected before and after a supervised 20-min relaxation session at the beginning and end of the 3-week practice period. S-IgA secretion rate increased significantly (p less than .001) after 20 min of relaxation. A longer-term practice effect also occurred in that the increase in secretion rate in "before to after" relaxation samples was higher (p = .014) in subjects who had practiced relaxation once a day for 3 weeks than in waiting list control subjects practicing for the first time. Serum IgA (p less than .001), IgG (p less than .001), and igM (p less than .05) increased significantly over the 3-week practice period. Relaxation may be a self-regulating strategy affecting both humoral and cellular divisions of the immune system.